1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a method and an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards and card carriers, and in particular to a method and an apparatus operating in the so-called off-line mode.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is generally possible to automatically join (apply) a variable number of plastic cards, such as thick plastic cards, type CR-80, to card carriers by means of known systems. The card carriers having applied thereto the plastic cards are then packed into envelopes, e.g. in an enveloping station, and either deposited in a scalelike mode of arrangement or subjected to further treatment, such as sorting or encircling by a plastic strip.
In the case of a known method and a known apparatus, presorted and personalized plastic cards are applied to presorted and personalized card carriers. The term xe2x80x9cpersonalizedxe2x80x9d means in this connection that the plastic card and the card carrier, respectively, have already been provided with the necessary data, such as name, address etc. The card carriers can in this case by supplied from a stack of continuous sheets or from a stack of single sheets.
Such a known apparatus for applying plastic cards and card carriers is provided with a turret means comprising four magazines. Individual plastic cards are discharged from this turret means and supplied to a reading device. In the reading device, an identification number (ID number) of the plastic card is read and a processing means (VE) detects and stores the identification number. Subsequently, the plastic card is conducted to an applicator. The applicator has additionally supplied thereto a card carrier which is contained in a stack comprising the card carriers in a presorted form. The card carriers have already been provided with the relevant data. Prior to supplying the card carrier to the applicator, the identification number printed on the card carrier is read and compared with the identification number of the card which is about to be joined to the card carrier in the applicator. If the identification numbers correspond, the plastic card and the card carrier will be joined in the applicator.
Such an apparatus is disadvantageous insofar as the identification number is present on the card carrier as well as on the plastic card itself; this identification number can unequivocally be associated with the data related to a specific person which are printed on the card carrier. Making use of the identification number, it is e.g. possible to access a data base in which the personal data of the card owners are stored. It follows that the above-described known system permits access to personal data of a person, e.g. by unauthorized access to a data base by third parties.
DE 195 08 282 C1 discloses a bringing-together and joining means which avoids the above-described disadvantages with regard to unsatisfactory data privacy protection. Instead of the identification number, a so-called print job number is used; before the card and the carrier are joined in the applicator, this print job number is used for determining whether the card and the carrier correspond. The means described in this DE 195 08 282 C1 operates in a so-called on-line mode, i.e. that, instead of providing preprinted card carriers in this means, a printer is provided which prints the necessary data on the card carriers and which supplies the thus printed card carrier to th applicator where it is then determined whether the plastic card which is about to be joined and the card carrier which is about to be joined match one another.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method and an improved apparatus for bringing together and joining a plastic card and a card carrier, which operate in an off-line mode.
The present invention is a method of bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, data sets with the identification marks, which are associated with the plastic cards, and with a print job number associated with each identification mark being provided, wherein this method has the following steps:
providing in order the plastic cards;
providing in order the printed card carriers which are each provided with a print job number;
detecting the identification mark of a plastic card;
detecting the print job number of a card carrier;
determining on the basis of the data set whether the plastic card which is about to be joined and the card carrier match one another; and
if the plastic card and the card carrier match one another, bringing them together and joining them.
The present invention is a method of bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, wherein this method has the following steps:
providing data sets with identification marks which are associated with the plastic cards;
associating a print job number with each data set;
providing in order the plastic cards;
providing in order the printed card carriers which are each provided with a print job number;
detecting the identification mark of a plastic card;
detecting the print job number of a card carrier;
determining on the basis of the data set whether the plastic card which is about to be joined and the card carrier match one another; and
if the plastic card and the card carrier match one another, bringing them together and joining them.
The present invention is a method of bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, wherein this method has the following steps:
providing data sets with identification marks which are associated with the plastic cards;
associating a print job number with each data set;
providing in order the plastic cards;
providing in order the printed card carriers which have already printed thereon a print job number;
detecting the identification mark of a plastic card;
associating, on the basis of the data set, a print job number with the plastic card whose identification mark has been detected;
detecting the print job number of a card carrier;
determining, on the basis of the print job number, whether the plastic card which is about to be joined and the card carrier match one another; and
if the plastic card and the card carrier match one another, bringing them together and joining them.
The present invention is a method of bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, wherein this method has the following steps:
a) a data set production step comprising the following steps:
a1) providing the plastic card;
a2) detecting an identification mark of the plastic card; and
a3) producing a data set by reading a data base by means of the identification mark and associating a print job number with the data read from the data base, the print job number being not unequivocally associated with the read data related to a specific person; and
b) a bringing-together and joining step comprising the following steps:
b1) providing a printed card carrier which is provided with a print job number;
b2) providing the plastic card;
b3) detecting the print job number of the printed card carrier;
b4) detecting the identification mark of the plastic card;
b5) determining, on the basis of the data set specified by the identification mark, whether the print job number contained in the specified data set corresponds to the detected print job number of the printed card carrier; and
b6) if the print job numbers correspond, bringing the plastic card and the card carrier together and joining them.
The present invention is an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, this apparatus having:
a means for providing in order the plastic cards;
a means for providing in order the printed card carriers having a print job number printed thereon;
a first detection means detecting the identification marks of the plastic cards;
a second detection means detecting the print job number of a card carrier;
a processing unit containing data sets with identification marks, a print job number being associated with each data set, and the processing unit determining on the basis of the data set whether the plastic card which is about to be joined and the card carrier match one another; and
a bringing-together and joining means which brings the plastic card and the card carrier together and joins them if this plastic card and this card carrier match one another.
The present invention is an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, this apparatus having:
a means for providing in order the plastic cards;
a means for providing in order the printed card carriers having a print job number printed thereon;
a first detection means detecting the identification mark of a plastic card;
a second detection means detecting the print job number of a card carrier;
a processing unit containing data sets with identification marks, a print job number being associated with each data set, and the processing unit associating a print job number on the basis of the data set of the plastic card whose identification mark has been detected and determining whether the print job numbers of the plastic card and of the card carrier match one another; and
a bringing-together and joining means which brings the plastic card and the card carrier together and joins them if this plastic card and this card carrier match one another.
The present invention is an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, this apparatus having:
a means for producing a data set having the following features:
a carrier means in which the plastic card is contained;
a detection means which detects the identification mark of the plastic card;
a data base means containing data in dependence upon the identification mark; and
a processing unit causing the data base to be accessed by means of the identification mark and producing a data set by reading the data base and by associating a print job number with the data read;
a bringing-together and joining means having the following features:
a plastic card holder in which the plastic card is contained;
a card carrier holder in which a printed card carrier is contained, the printed card carrier being provided with a print job number;
a means for detecting the print job number on the printed card carrier;
a means for detecting the identification mark of the plastic card;
a processing unit determining, on the basis of the data set specified by the detected identification mark, whether the print job number contained in the specified data set corresponds to the print job number of the printed card carrier; and
a means which brings the plastic card and the card carrier together and joins them if the print job numbers correspond.